Cry Me a River of Pizza

I read an article that described the American culture act of consuming food as carnival eating.

“I WANT PIZZA!”

“OOH, I’M GETTING 4 CARAMEL APPLES, NOW!!!”

“HOLD ON, BEFORE I LISTEN TO A STORY ABOUT YOUR MOTHER SINGING “STACEY’S MOM”, I NEED A RACK OF RIBS TO SHOOT DOWN.”

Darn, that may be true in my life. So, I’ll face it. I’ve been emotional eating for about …hmm… the majority of my life. No matter what emotion I’m experiencing – be it happiness, anxiety, sadness or confusion, I’m moved by certain foods to make everything okay in my world. It works! But, I should try and bump up my game and not give in so easily. In the meantime, I switch certain ingredients around to make a decently healthy emo-bite like:

2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn’t related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you’re open to options.

3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Even when you are full, if you’re eating to satisfy an emotional need, you’re more likely to keep eating. When you’re eating because you’re hungry, you’re more likely to stop when you’re full.

5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.